A fizzled 5K turns into a 15K trail decision

21 Aug

The hubbers and I decided to extend our 8-week 5K training program into 10 weeks, just to get us some extra practice at running the entire thing together and completing with a time we’d be happy with.

That 10 weeks turned into 12 weeks, which then turned into an argument about whether or not we had the $50 at the moment to sign up for a local 5K and call this program a day.

The frustration helped push me toward a goal I made last year, however: Before my next birthday (in November, this year), I will run my first trail race. So, I begin training, solo, for the 15K part of the 14th annual Rockledge Rumble here in Grapevine, Texas, put on by the North Texas Trail Runners.

After false starts with this very same race the past couple of years, I’m excited that I’m actually going to do it this time.

Two days until our one-year wedding anniversary, by the way ; )

A woodsy Caddo Lake run

5 Aug

Brian and I went camping at Caddo Lake State Park this weekend. We went on a 3/4-mile hike through East Texas piney woods (where face-met-leftover-spider-web a few too many times, eek) and managed a 15-minute run on the park’s main road back to camp. It was beautiful. Sure, we’re just in East Texas, but the varied terrain of Texas makes every road trip seem like traveling to another state.

The run included a couple of inclines, but not anything you’d consider butt-blasting. Except that it was, to our flat, North Texas heinies, which remain slightly sore to this day.

We ran our first non-stop three-miler together Sunday evening at Katy Trail. And we repeated, even better, last night. Just over an 11-minute mile, 34 minutes. We’re technically finished with our Hal Higdon 5K training, but we’re repeating the last week for another two weeks.

We’re going to run that 5K like it ain’t no thang. Now we just need to pick one.

Recent sights, sounds and happenings on the Katy Trail

27 Jul

Brian and I are on our second-to-last week of official 5K training. But we’re tagging on a couple of more weeks to get down running the whole thing without stopping.

I think we’re there, but Brian’s adorable at scamming me into having us stop when he’s perfectly spry enough to keep going. Like today, he started futzing with his new mp3 player I got him for his birthday (Metallica makes him run faster). At the perfect 1.5 mile mark, he stops and literally fumbles and bumbles and boobs with his player like he can’t find the volume, and oh no, now it’s locked — Christy, how do I get this unlocked? I thought I saw you adjusting it the other day — you don’t remember how? Show me how.

I gave up trying to get us to keep going and realized what it was: a breather. He can fake-futz now … but those tagged-on extra two weeks of training? A no-futz zone.

Recent sights: A fat, very domesticated cat sauntering onto the trail, plopping in the middle of it, and lying belly-up for rubz. From anybody. As if there weren’t racing bicycles and roller blades whizzing by. I was like, Dumb cat. You obviously have no sense of self-preservation; go home. … After I spent five minutes on the ground giving him rubz.

Recent/all-the-time-smells: I know nature means small animals die. And that nature lines the trail. I’m just saying … the smell of dead birds or squirrels or whatever seem so much more horrid on the Katy than on any actual trail-trail (non-concrete) I’ve exhaled on. Grosssss.

Recent feels: Despite today’s futzing episode, Brian and I did well on our 3-miler. Maybe what helped was that The Nothing was rolling in from the West, which dropped temperatures and gave us a little rain during the run. The fact it looked like it was about to open up a torrent on us put a spring in our step, too. I love running in the rain, even if we only got sprinkles at the time of the run.

Cool report: Brian saw an old TCA-mate of ours on Facebook say that she signed up her and her husband for a half-marathon. I teased him about the grin on his face and said that he’s smiling because he knows that it doesn’t sound as crazy as it did just a few weeks ago. Maybe it doesn’t sound completely un-crazy, but less crazy. He did the “pshhh whatever” thing.

Later, he mentioned that maybe just maybe we could try to run from one end of the Katy to the other at some point. That’s around 7 miles. Haaaaay! Bodes well for our runny future ; )

The time of day

4 Jul

Brian wanted to see a movie last night. So that meant our 2.25-mile run had to happen earlier in the day. It’s Texas, and it’s July. That meant daring the 100+ degree heat to mess with us during our 5K training run.

I used to run in the heat of the summer day. I used to play soccer games in this heat. But it’s been a while, and exerting in the 2 p.m. sun is something that takes (re-)acclimation.

We drove to our usual Katy trailhead on Knox Street. Instead of bringing one water bottle to share like usual, we each brought one. We dressed loosely. We ran in the shade when possible.

Still, it was a butt whipping.

We had to take two walk breaks, with one of those breaks being a whole quarter-mile. I squeezed water on my head throughout the run. I even ran in the opposite lane because there was a measly strip of shade there and was nearly run down by a cyclist.

It felt good to see the very last quarter-mile marker, and it felt extra satisfying. Sometimes mere survival can make you feel like a stud.

While I looked like someone had pushed me into a pool, Brian somehow managed to complete the run with half a bottle of water left. Huh? Harrumph.

Couples fitness story

26 Jun

The trials and tribulations of Christy and Brian in the fitness department at least spun into a story idea. So, I guess they’ve been worth it. My Dallas Morning News story about couples who want to work out but can’t seem to make it, well, work.

The car: Not the best changing room in the world

24 Jun

I’m curious how many runners change clothes in their car before a run. Surely I’m not the only one.

This practice starts with the fact that I’m too lazy to get up any earlier before work than I positively have to. This trait makes me an evening runner by default, usually after work.

I could bring my running clothes to work and change in the bathroom before I leave. But I’m not really jazzed about co-workers seeing me in thigh-showing shorts and a wrinkled men’s v-neck undershirt. We don’t have that kind of relationship.

I also could stop off at a gas station to change, but I really just want to get to the trail and down to business.

Quick car changes are tricky, at least if you’re female, but I’ve got it down. So, I bring to you my tips for changing in the car without getting arrested.

1. Park far out and open.
It would seem like it’s best to wedge your car between two big F-250s for the coverage. But the coverage goes both ways — you might not be able to see one of the vehicle owners approaching, keys in hand and jaw on the ground after catching you semi-nude. If you have someone with you to act as lookout (who you don’t mind seeing you naked-ish), even better.
2. Bottoms down.
Changing bottoms isn’t the big deal. Just make sure the coast is relatively clear, and the car itself will cover you while you shimmy out of jeans and into shorts.
3. Use your current top as a really-cramped miniature dressing room.
This is the most potentially-arrestable part, so be careful. If you’re wearing a loose top, pull your arms inside. Pull your bra off underneath. Peek your hands out from under your shirt and locate your sports bra. If it’s the pullover kind, put it around your neck. Then pull your arms back inside the shirt, grab the sports bra down inside and maneuver your arms and goods into it. Now that the prime property is properly concealed, just take off the shirt and pull on the other one.

If the first top is not loose? Just … go find a gas station.

A new trail, figuratively

17 Jun

I’m going to side-step the fact that it’s been a whole year since I’ve posted here. A lot has happened.

But there are some bullet points that are relevant for catchup. The biggest bullet point is that I got married Aug. 23, 2008.

The second is that my husband’s name is Brian Peters. His name will now figure more largely into this blog. Um, I hope.

Because, you see – running is sort of my thing. And for him … well, he’s game enough to embrace it. We ran (ok — runnerishly ran/walked) the Katy Trail 5K last month. And we ran a random 5K in Fort Worth last Monday night that Brian signed us up for (!). And now we’ve started a proper 5K training program.

The last bullet point is that I’m almost starting from scratch. I’ve fallen way behind my former self since becoming a married woman. My half-marathon training days and, to a lesser extent, my trail running days seem like the passions of someone else I used to know from my past.

I aim to rediscover them. Alongside Brian. How possible, how easy, how much it will make me [ok, us] want to jump out of a window is to be seen.

Should be interesting.

Haha just kidding

13 Jun

False alarm — I’m not training. I’m planning a wedding, working, commuting, doing extra freelance all while trying to squeeze in some family, friends and breathing. Training for a race … hahaha, cute. I’ll shout when life straightens out a wee.

I’m training! I think

19 May

I have a few races I’m looking at, but nothing decided on and paid for yet. Nevertheless, I’ve started “training” today. I took a week off and it felt great. And it made me look forward to gearing back up again even more. I’m not sure if I’m doing a half or a full (or that Rockledge Rumble 15K in November), I went ahead and started a Hal Higdon, since both training plans start off pretty much the same. I did 3 miles on the Katy, 31 minutes.

Oh, got me some new Asics Gel Kayano 14s (my ones before were the 13s). Pic later.

No running, no lifting this weekend. It was the first free, sunny two days in a row that I’ve had this year, and I used them to lie on my yoga mat in the grass and let the silky, golden sun melt this white body of mine. Mmm mmm, I love me some layin’ out.

First official trail run of ’08

13 May

It was official, but unofficial. I ran, but I didn’t. At any rate, the stars lined up perfectly for me to get back out to Cedar Hill State Park for my inaugural in-the-rough run of the year: warmer weather, me getting off at a decent time and the trails not being wet from spring rains. Got my annual pass, yay! I decided to run the short Duck Pond trail instead of the longer dirt bike trail like normal. Can I tell you that the forest was so effing LUSH and GREEN and that the air was COOL. No spider webs, even! Apparently the park is in the middle of widening its roads, so bulldozers have created a dirt “trail” that runs alongside the road. So after the Duck Pond trail, I hoofed it up the bulldozer path, which reminded me that treadmill and flat concrete running is not. the. same.

After I finished business, I drove around the park just to look, since it was so full and green from the recent rains. I stopped off at the lake and took really bad camera phone pictures of everything from ducks to the sunset to myself wallowing on the ground. I’ll upload those pics soon.

My beat-up New Balances have served me well, but it’s time for new trail running shoes. Yay! Trail running shoe shopping.

UPDATE: Here are those picky-pics!


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